Finding the Perfect Health Care Clinic

« Back to Home

Preparing For A Doctor's Visit When You're Really Nervous

Posted on

When you think about visiting the doctor, does your heart rate rise? Do you find yourself sweating and feeling anxious? You're not alone. Anxiety and nervousness keep a lot of people from seeing the doctor as they should, but it doesn't have to keep you from getting the medical care you need. About a month before your appointment, start preparing yourself by following these steps.

Call the doctor's office and ask all of your burning questions

Many people work themselves into a nervous state by letting the same questions roll around in their minds, day after day, without answers. Or, you may Google your questions and get answers that scare you even more. Put an end to this circular worry by calling your doctor's office and asking the questions that keep running through your mind. There are no silly questions. It's totally okay to ask things like if it will hurt and what the chances are that you won't wake up. Often, the answers are far less worrisome than you'd think, and having those answers will make you feel a lot better.

Find a support buddy

Find a friend or family member who is known for being calm and reassuring. Call them up, and talk to them casually about your doctor's visit and the nervousness you are experiencing. Often, just talking about the nervousness helps reduce it. Plus, your friend can kindly point out where you might be over-reacting. Knowing that they don't think there's a reason to worry can reassure you that you don't need to worry.

Get extra sleep

If there's one thing that makes anxiety of all types worse, it's not sleeping. Of course, when you are anxious, you have trouble sleeping, and then the lack of sleep just makes your anxiety worse. Try going to bed an hour earlier in the weeks leading up to your doctor's visit. If you are truly struggling to sleep, call your doctor and ask if there's an over-the-counter medication or supplement you can take. Often, they will recommend something like melatonin or CBD.

In addition to getting more sleep, make sure you're caring for yourself in general. Eat healthy meals, exercise, and make time for relaxation.

Feeling nervous about visiting the doctor can be difficult. However, if you follow the tips above, you can make it to your visit feeling more level-headed. Once one appointment goes well, you tend to relax, and then subsequent doctor's visits should not be as challenging.

Contact a doctor near you for more tips.


Share